Tomas Morato Food Trip

I've heard about Tomas Morato as one place in Quezon City teeming with restaurants but haven't had the chance to explore this part of the city. Such a shame considering I've been living in Q.C. for some time now.

I thought that I have to try at least one good restaurant from that area. I decided I'd make it happen last March when I post-celebrated my birthday with my closest friends at work. :)

First Stop: Banapple

What we ordered:

Banoffee Pie and Apple Caramel Crumble Pie (not pictured). These two happen to be their most recommended and from which the name of the place was derived. Their banoffee pie has slices of sweet bananas with rich caramel that holds them together, topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings, and has graham cracker base. Their apple caramel crumble has streusel crumb toppings and a hint of cinnamon flavor. I'm not a fan of both bananas and apples on cakes (just because I will always prefer chocolate cakes over any other) but if I were to choose between these two, I'd say I liked the banoffee pie better for overall taste.

Where to find it:
Banapple Pies and Cheesecakes
2nd Level, Il Terrazzo Mall
35 Tomas Morato cor. Scout Madriñan
Quezon, Metro Manila
(02) 413 2675
Website: http://www.banapplekitchen.com/Banapple.html

Second Stop: Omakase

What we ordered:

Uni Sashimi (as seen on the picture with the menu) - or sea urchin sashimi, which is me and Rai's favorite although I know some people is turned off because of it's slimy texture and creamy consistency. Jurassic Maki - has kani (crab meat), ebiko (fish roe), salmon skin, inside out unagi(eel) and is served with their own special dip/sauce. Dynamite Roll (no photo) - made with delicious unagi (eel) and spicy scallops also served with sauce. Aspara Beef Roll (no photo) - thin slices of beef wrap strips of asparagus in teriyaki sauce. Seafood Dumpling - deep fried assorted seafoods wrapped in nori, a complimentary dish because Ken happen to know someone from the resto. As a Japanese food lover, I am not being biased when I recommend everything we ate because I tell you, any diner will get his or her penny's worth.

Where to find it:
Omakase
Upper Ground Level, Il Terrazzo Mall,
35 Tomas Morato cor. Scout Madriñan
Quezon City, Metro Manila
(02) 332-4115

Last Stop: Kozui

What we ordered:

Green Tea Cheesecake, Takoyaki (tako or octopus balls stuffed with chunks of ika or squid, ebi or shrimp and negi or Asian leek, topped with Japanese mayonnaise and sprinkled with fine strips of nori wrapper and paper-like bonito flakes) and Anmitsu (with mango and green tea ice cream). Anmitsu is their version of our halo-halo. This one has shaved ice, ice cream, taro jam, green tea jelly, fruits, sweet azuki or red beans, and mochi balls (bilo-bilo counterpart). I'm not sure if how many people are into green tea like me, but I think their anmitsu is unique and a must-try, too.

Where to find it:

Kozui Green Tea
258 B Tomas Morato cor. Sct. Fernandez
Quezon City, Metro Manila
(02) 413-2705
Website: http://kozui.com/

***All photos courtesy of ken